According to figures, in the last two academic years, more than 300 students at Liverpool John Moores University have faced penalties for taking all or parts of their essays off of websites, with companies offering services for as little as £85 per essay.

Of the 24,000 students at LJMU, in 2013 there were 163 proven cases of ‘academic misconduct’, with the figure increasing to 164 students in 2014.

According to the university, ‘academic misconduct’ can range from anything between ‘cheating, attempts to cheat, plagiarism, collusion’ and any other attempt to gain an ‘unfair advantage’ over other students in assessments.

As a result of being caught, many of the students were awarded no mark for their work, with some being expelled. However, JMU insists that the number expelled is much less than the figures of those caught.

As with all universities, students are permitted to use online resources but must cite them to avoid accusations of plagiarism. Some students, however, have taken extra measures in their cheating plight by actually paying companies to supply them with bespoke essays.

Some companies have boasted about selling nearly five million words to students.

In an investigation, The Mirror delved deeper into the realms of university plagiarism, making some shocking discoveries about Masters papers being sold for £2,000.

Experts confirm, however, that the number of cases of ‘academic misconduct’ is rising in universities across the UK, not just at Liverpool John Moores.